Torquil was well into his cups, not wise for a man who dabbled in the black arts as he obviously did. Whether anyone else noticed the periodic flashes of red in the laird’s eyes, Halldor couldn’t say. He knew only that he had seen them and knew their origin.
Torquil wasn’t the only being who waited for the warrior maiden at the head table.
In an act of singularly bad judgment, which Halldor could only attribute to the amount of ale the laird had imbibed, Torquil leaned across the table as the woman drew near, twining his hand in the length of her hair to drag her close.
Fool!
Halldor shoved people out of his way, frantic to reach the head table before it was too late.
Candlelight glinted off the wickedly sharp blade sliding from her bodice, and he knew his time was up. Dinnerware rattled to the floor as Torquil slammed her back down upon the table, leaning over her as he pinned her arms at her sides.
Halldor leaped upon the table and off the other side onto the floor, reaching the laird as he leanedin against the woman’s neck, his mouth opened wide.
“No!” Halldor yelled, hoping to catch the creature’s attention, for he knew it was the creature, not the laird, who sought to end the woman’s life.
Torquil’s head snapped up, his eyes glowing red as saliva dripped from his chin. Beneath him the woman lay unmoving, surprise and fear warring in her features.
“Wait.”
The glow receded, replaced by an icy blue that heralded the return of the laird.
“You’d stay my hand against my assailant?” Confusion shadowed Torquil’s face, clear evidence that only now did he realize it wasn’t his hand he’d been prepared to use against the woman.
“Apologies, my laird, but I fancy this one as I haven’t any for a long time. I’ll see to her punishment myself if you’ll do me the honor of gifting her to me.”
He hoped that the request would work, now that Torquil seemed more himself, due to what Ulfr had shared about their laird’s belief in his sister’s visions of the future. A future that somehow included either him or Chase in some important measure.
It was small comfort to rest upon, but it was all he had.
“Take her!” Torquil pushed away from the table to stand tall, wiping the back of his hand over his mouth. “And when you’ve had yer fill of her, I’dhave her head on a pike and her entrails spread on the wall walk.”
“When I’ve had my fill, aye,” Halldor agreed. “Thank you, Laird MacDowylt.”
He pulled the woman to her feet, clamping one large hand over her mouth to forestall her protests even as the crowd around them broke into lewd jeers.
“One thing,” he added, waiting for Torquil to turn. “Have you a place of privacy where I can take her? I’m not of a mood to share with the likes of these.” He tilted his head toward the laughing throng.
“Use Christiana’s tower if you like. It’s empty until her return.” This time it was Torquil’s grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “And none will be able to hear her screams from there.”
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Twenty-four
CHRISTIANA HAD FALLENasleep again, waking only when the wagon bounced in a rut, jostling her against the strong, warm man sitting next to her.
“Okay, that’s it. We’re done.” Chase pulled on the reins, drawing the animals to a stop. “Ulfr! We aren’t going any farther tonight. Christiana’s exhausted and she’s freezing. We need a fire and she needs some sleep.”
Ulfr pulled his horse back beside the wagon, his irritation evident.
“We’ve already wasted enough time digging the witch’s pit at yer insistence, Noble. Our lord has bid me to bring his sister back as quickly as possible, and I intend to—”
“As quickly as possible is tomorrow,” Chase interrupted. “For now, we’re stopping and setting up camp. You can stay here with us or you can go on ahead, but to do anything else is going to mean that you and I are going to dance. And seriously, dude, I don’t think you want that to happen.”
Christiana didn’t blame Ulfr for his look of confusion. Sometimes the things Chase said confused her, as well. But for all his strange words, his meaning was clear enough when he climbed down from the wagon and reached up to assist her in following him.
“Kenneth! How about you take care of unhooking these horses while I escort the lady to the trees over there?” Chase gave orders as if he were the one in charge, ignoring Ulfr’s halfhearted protests. “Look at you, Ulfr. You’re about to fall out of that saddle. Did you even take an hour to sleep before you started back after us? I didn’t think so. Come on, man, give it a rest. Let’s bed down for the night and we’ll head out at first light. For all I care, you can tell Torquil I’m the one who held us up. It doesn’t have to be your fault.”
Ulfr appeared almost relieved as he dismounted and led his horse away.
